North Grenville and Merrickville-Wolford get funds for infrastructure

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Local MPP, Steve Clark, has announced funding to local municipalities under the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund [OCIF] totalling almost $4 million. The money has been allocated for community infrastructure needs across Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. The grants include $1.6 million for the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, $69,742 for the Village of Merrickville-Wolford, and $300,000 for the Municipality of North Grenville.

“As MPP, I am upholding my commitment to support local municipalities by creating jobs, attracting economic growth and investment and making our communities the best place to live, work and raise a family,” said Steve Clark. “This funding will help ensure municipalities have the resources they need to build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure.”

The announcement comes as welcome news to the municipalities, where uncertainty had existed regarding provincial government support following early statements from the Premier about lowering transfers to Ontario’s local government’s. The OCIF grants will allow North Grenville and Merrickville-Wolford to plan infrastructure programs, knowing that there is at least some stable funding in place.

The Fund is designed for municipalities with populations under 100,000, along with all rural and northern municipalities. Approximately $200 million in formula-based funding was allocated to small, rural and northern municipalities for 2019. North Grenville and Merrickville-Wolford may also choose to bank the allocations for up to five years, in order to finance larger infrastructure projects.

There is also a federal government fund for infrastructure, amounting to $30-billion over ten years, of which Ontario’s share per project will be up to one-third, or $10.2 billion spread across four streams: Rural and Northern, Public Transit, Green and Community, Culture and Recreation.

1 COMMENT

  1. We should be happy about this? Barely enough to fill our potholes. Come on Mr. Clark we need money that has long been promised to widen and improve county road 43 through Kemptville. Are we ever going to see any funding for this project? The Mayor bragged about her federal political connections in regard to 43, when is this dream going to be fulfilled?

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